September 22, 2009

H1N1 Flu Update

The web is such an amazing place to get current news on all sorts of topics. Here's what I have found lately about the H1N1 virus.

Two doctors have posted articles strongly suggesting that keeping your Vitamin D3 level high in your blood with supplements can minimize your chances of catching H1N1. If you are interested, get a blood level done for Vitamin D3 so you can supplement adequately..This article on MSNBC reports autopsy findings on people who have died from H1N1 have massize lung damage from the virus. So people with chronic lung disease from smoking or other reasons should consider taking the H1N1 shots. BUT, the first H1N1 vaccine may be an inhaled nasal preparation. In previous nasal flu vaccines there has always been a strong warning about giving this to anyone with asthma or chronic lung disease because of the risks. This same warning will be on the new nasal vaccine as reported here on MSNBC. That's an interesting problem. The people who most need this vaccine possibly, should not take the nasal vaccine. They must wait till the injectable vaccine is available. One shot of either vaccine type is now expected to work. Antibody levels will rise about 6 weeks after vaccination. So another reason for all adults to know their Vitamin D3 levels and optimize them now.

Last week a Harvard scientist told a meeting that so far the H1N1 infections in children have been mild and the death rate is similar to the usual seasonal flu. This is news that has also been reported in Australia whose winter season has been going on while we have enjoyed summer.

My own experience with this virus all summer has been to see one case in a family, mostly adults with quick response to Tamiflu and no spread among other family members. Now that school is in, I'm starting to see children with H1N1 symptoms. They too seem to be mildly infected for the most part and respond well to Tamiflu. And I have yet to catch this virus, but then I take Vitamin D3 at high doses every day.